SOBO AT Gear List 2015..What are your thoughts??

PACK

backpack---osprey exos 48 37.0
pack liner---trash compactor bag 2.1
TOTAL (oz) 39.1
TOTAL (lb) 2.4

SHELTER

Zpacks---Duplex (2p) w/ stakes 22.7
TOTAL (oz) 22.7
TOTAL (lb) 1.4

SLEEPING

Zpacks Bag---20 degree+Stuff Sack 21.3
Pillow---Coccoon 3.3
Sleeping Pad w/ strap---Thermarest 12.7
TOTAL (oz) 37.3
TOTAL (lb) 2.3

CLOTHING

hard shell---OR Helium 2 6.2
rain pants---OR Helium 2 5.3
mid Layer---Acerteryx Atom Light 13.4
wind jacket---Zpacks 2.1
warm hat---Northface Beanie 2.2
gloves---Marmot 1.4
bug protection---mosquito head net 0.3
spare underwear 1pr---BCG 2.7
spare socks 1pr---Smartwool 2.2
TOTAL (oz) 49.4
TOTAL (lb) 3.1

COOKING

food storage bag---Zpacks 1.4
pot+stove+spoon+windscreen+stand---Toaks 850mL/Caldera Cone 8.1
water treatment---Mini Sawyer+backwash 1.8
Platypus 1L 1.1
Platypus 2L 1.0
TOTAL (oz) 13.4
TOTAL (lb) 0.8

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

knife------Swiss Army Wegner 0.7
lighter---- mini bic 0.4
first aid---meds+moleskin+bandages 2.9
hygene---TP+deod+GB+TB+soap 6.0
repair kit---tape+patches+needle+thread+pins 0.4
Bug Spray---Ben's 100% DEET 2.0
Dry Towel ---Pack towel 0.9
TOTAL (oz) 13.3
TOTAL (lb) 0.8

ELECTRONICS

dry bag----Zpacks small dry bag 0.6
flashlight + extra battery---Zebralight H52 Headlamp 3.0
cell phone----Samsung S5 Active 5.9
stickpic----0.7
ear-phones---Apple 0.4
Charger---Samsung/delorme 4.4
Battery Recharge kit---Anker 13000mHa 10.4
GPS Locator---Delorme inReach SE 6.8
TOTAL (oz) 27.8
TOTAL (lb) 1.7

TOTAL BASE WEIGHT
TOTAL WT (oz) 193.8
TOTAL WT (lb) 12.1


All weights are accurate as for each specified piece of equipment. If the weights are adjusted from what they actually are then material was cut off or removed.
I am looking for anything to get lighter. My medicine contains a hefty portion of amoxacillin that cannot be further reduced. I am open to any advice or gear changes that will not sacrifice the comforts that I have listed.

From an outsider looking in (my longest hike is 3 days), 2 questions come to mind.

1 - Does the Exos have a sleeping bag compartment? If so, I would imagine you could lose the stuff sack for the bag - wouldn't this also help preserve the loft of your bag?

2 - How does your Platy 2L weight less than your Platy 1L? Is that a typo?

Being that I am king of the spreadsheet, I recently calculated individual weights as you have here and identified several areas to drop weight. Being that my base pack weight is in the 30's and I aspire to get it down into the 20's (including water and food) I still have some work to do...<sheepish grin> I might just have to cheat a little off of your list.

Good luck on your trek!

The 48 doesn't come with a sleeping bag compartment. However, I'm not sure about other larger model exos packs. If you take the compartment off the top of the bag you can save some ounces.

For now I will have to have the stuff sack on my sleeping bag due to very wet conditions in Maine. It is cuben finer and weights little to nothing. I have another summer bag (kelty cosmic down 40 degree) I plan to sub out once the weather gets warmer in the North East.

The Platy 1L has a plastic clip on the side that makes it have a little more weight. Im probably going to cut it off, just wasn't paying attention at the store when it was purchased.

I am probably going to add a few ounces because I will need a better recharge system to keep up with my elctronics while on the trail. Im looking into an Anker 10000mHA.

Thanks for the feedback!

I have that exact charger - it weighs too much (IMHO) for distances. Run a search on Amazon for Jackery Bars. I have one of those also and they offer multiple sizes. The smallest will give you 1-2 charges, the medium 2-3 and the large 4+. I have the large and it weighs a little more than the Anker. The medium might be enough from a capacity standpoint and it may save you a few ounces...

Great list. I've not done done anything longer than a few weeks, but I have sectioned lots of the AT. I've carried Crocs in the Sierra for 100 miles, and many times on other trails before deciding to just leave them home. If you feel you need camp shoes, I'd suggest something a little lighter and less bulky. I've got by with a pair of neoprene socks after deciding the crocs were a little much. Have a great walk and thanks for sharing the list. I'm envious of your Duplex.

I would consider a dry bag (Z Packs has them) rather than a stuff sack for your sleeping bag. Stuff sacks do not have a watertight closure, and should you stumble while fording a stream (I understand there are some big ones to ford in Maine), your primary source of insulation will be kaput.

Or you can use a trash compactor bag (heavier than a garbage bag), using a candy-cane closure to keep it watertight. In either case, check daily for possible holes. It takes only a couple of seconds.

Another vote here for ditching the Crocs! I took them on one trip--that's the one where I stumbled and fell fording a stream in them--and took them to Goodwill as soon as I got home My camp shoes, when I take them, are Goose Feet booties with the waterproof overbooties, which weigh less than 1/3 as much as the Crocs. I consider them a luxury, and do without (just loosen up my trail runner laces in camp) if weight is critical. Another idea: non-skid shower slippers, about 2 oz.

Good luck with your hike!

Do your clothes have enough bulk that, stuffed into a small stuff sack (say, the one your tent isn't in), they would make a workable pillow? If so, you can leave the pillow behind.

I'd also ditch the Crocs.

Do you really need the strap for the sleeping pad? Why not just fold it (rather than rolling) and put it on top or under the sleeping bag?

I just picked up the Helium II jacket and Helium pants - haven't had the chance to use it yet. Do you like it?

I have a trash compactor bag, what is the candy cane closure you are talking about and where can I find one?

Zpacks has really good products and I did by a small dry sack from them, but it was not completely waterproof. A friend had a similar experience and filled his up with water and it leaked. My guess is the way they do their stitching.

Might ditch the crocs after all. I was bringing them for a luxury, and to let feet air out at the end of the day.

The Hellium II rain gear is nice. I've worn in several rain storms, one with torrential rain, and stayed dry. There is some better stuff as far as breathability goes, but for the price difference, I can't really complain. When there is a nice breeze it breaths well, but on calm rainy days, I imagine I may sweat a little bit.

Really would like the Zpacks Challenger rain gear, just could not justify spending the money after purchasing the duplex.

I still may go with the anker 2nd gen, compared both weights with Jackery 12000mHa (10.4 oz) and the anker 13000 mHa (10.4 oz). The anker gives more juice at the same weight.

Candy cane closure for trash compactor bag:
I couldn't find a picture. Here's how to do it:

Gather plastic bag together at the top. Twist tightly.
Fold the twist over for several inches--that's the "candy cane."
Tie cord or fasten rubber band tigtly around the doubled twist.

If done right, it will be waterproof. When practicing before the trip, test by immersing in the bathtub.

Take extra fasteners. Rubber bands are more effective, but they tend to break and/or pop off into the brush when fastening and unfastening. The cloth covered narrow elastic bands used for fastening ponytails hold up better and are a bit easier to find.

The whole outfit is heavier than need be. I would take a very close look at packs and sleeping gear, at your electronics, and at your clothing. All are, in my opinion, overly heavy. Incidentally, your stuff bag weighs very little so wouldn't worry about that, but I save on space and stuff time on my down by just putting my sleeping bag loose in the bottom of my pack (but inside the trash bag liner...and watch the liner for holes).

Yeah, the pillow can certainly go. When I have no clothes left in the bag, I use leaves. Works fine.

I used just a 40 degree (F) bag (second one was Western Mountaineering, one pound) right through Maine in September, both trips, but slept in every piece of clothes and with a bivy (second time bivy was very light). It shouldn't be much colder when you start.

I think you should add pymethrin for your outer clothes (or soak them ahead of time).

I've gone nobo both times, but have met about half a dozen folks who started sobo and flipped. They all gave me the same three reasons for flipping. Those reasons were:

Delayed start. The rangers are very conservative in deciding when it's safe to climb Khatadin.

Bugs. As I understand it, you get down off the mountain right into the black fly/mosquito bloom most years.

Water. The northern end of the trail tends to be very wet even in fall. I'm told that most years in spring the wet spots can be knee deep and the trail hard to follow, with some log bridges and wooden walkways submerged.

I'm hoping BianLe will respond. He's done it sobo and went all the way through. He'll actually know the northern end in spring, rather than just hearing about it like me.

best, jcp

I hiked the trail NOBO, but in either direction your start date makes a significant difference.

Base weight of 12 pounds sounds excellent to me.

A thermarest pad, I assume a non-inflatable closed-cell foam pad --- probably fine if you're relatively young, or have enough experience to know what you want. Older hikers generally favor some sort of inflatable or combination. Lots of smooth places to sleep on the AT, but on occasion ... I recall one shelter whose floor was about as smooth as would be a bunch of baseball bats.

Rain pants is somewhat of a personal thing; I don't like them. You've got various zpacks gear, might consider their cuben kilt. Again, depends to some degree on your start date. Of course you can always mail them home!

Why a wind jacket AND a hard shell? I've got aon OR Helium 2 myself, and I use it as my windshirt when appropriate.

Gloves: very much dependant on season, but I personally prefer mittens. I lost a mitten on the AT, and FYI, pretty much no one sold mittens. Gloves are much more popular. If cold enough, light/thin gloves coupled with decent mittens is IMO a great combo. OR makes decent mittens that aren't too heavy. Add bread bags for rain perhaps.

You list "spare socks" made of smartwool. Do you have dedicated sleeping socks? Again, depending upon season.

You might consider getting yourself a 3 or even 4 liter water bladder, ideally one with a handle that allows you to carry it easily. On the AT, sometimes it's a fair hike down to a water source and back up again, you only want to do that once per location.

Your battery recharge kit: heavy. I've got an Android phone with a replaceable battery, not an option for you, but on the AT it's pretty easy to recharge often along the way. You get good at finding/asking for opportunities (I still almost automatically look under the tables when entering a fast food place to see where the outlets are ...). It depends on how much and in what ways you're using your phone, of course. And again, you can always mail it home.

GPS: I see zero reason to bring a GPS on the AT, it's perhaps the best marked trail in the world. I suspect your phone has a GPS chipset; add an app like Gaia GPS or Backcountry Navigator and download the appropriate trail data to there. Voila.

Your list looks fairly complete to me, but I didn't check it for completeness. But guidebook pages? Perhaps cut these up or get AWOL's unbound version (he does both SOBO and NOBO versions) and mail appropriate chunks in resupply boxes or bounce 'em. But these do add weight. I'm pretty sure there are a few other things. Do you assume you'll always use privies and never have to dig a hole? Toilet paper? Any vitamins or medications? Some spare ziplock bags of various sizes?

Again, these thoughts are just off the top of my head, not an analysis for completeness.

Overall this looks to me to be an excellent gear list. Best wishes for a happy, successful, and wonderful trip!

My start date is June 10th. I did my best to get my weight down to 10lbs given the funds that I had available. The thermarest is a Neo Air X-Lite (inflatable).

The rain pants is something I am going to carry for laundry days and if the weather is really bad. They are my extra bottoms. If I find I do not need them I will mail them home. I could also drop the wind shell, but it is one of my favorite pieces of gear.

The gloves are for the black fly season. I am going to be hitting it during the peak so I plan to stay covered most of the time. I usually never hike with gloves. Once I get through the hellish bug storm I will send them home.

I carry two pairs of socks always, one to sleep in and one to hike in. Something that will stick throughout the hike.

As for electronics, since I am going alone, my mom has insisted that I carry the Delorme and ample enough battery supply in case of emergency. Something I am carrying on her behalf. If I find that I don't need it I will most likely send it home. For now it is going to have to stay in my pack.

I am also carrying a guidebook that is not added to the list.

Thanks for the feedback Brian. I am hoping to finish before Thanksgiving.

Spruce;

The rain pants as wash day wear is what I did. Also used them about three-four times as an outer layer in a cold, windy camp, and twice I slept in them.

You will certainly need the windshirt. I use mine with a down vest from WM, and it's good down to about freezing. But the hardshell would do the same job, and handle colder weather, but would be considerably heavier and bulkier. You don't need both. I think you're on the right track.

I will repeat the advice to use pymetrin on outer clothes. I forgot. Did you mention a bug net for your head? You will need a hat to keep it away from your skin all the way around, and black is much easier to see through. Best, jcp

PS: Brian's advice re. guidebook pages is on the mark. I carried just the maps and pages from guide that I needed to next post office stop. Also carried a shirt pocket style wire bound notebook with half its pages taken out, along with a stub of pencil. Found them very useful. jcp